


I've Seen the Streets You're Walking Down

by iktwabrokenbone (apiculteur)



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: F/F, Forgive Me, M/M, Smut, Stalking, but rly bad smut, i am so sorry padre, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 03:08:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3634362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apiculteur/pseuds/iktwabrokenbone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler is a stalker. Josh catches his eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I've Seen the Streets You're Walking Down

**Author's Note:**

> written for a prompt asking for a longer fic which is a stalker au and w some kinky smut in it. the smut isn't very kinky and its p bad lets be real but its there. i suggested u skip over it tbh. i spent so many hours on this gosh darned thing it is my tiny son and its not very good i don't think but i tried so hard.
> 
> also sry tyler and jenna. happy marriage. here is a thing in which u r both queer af.
> 
> update: the wonderful frankiecantfly translated this into russian/ру́сский!! u can read that [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/4199253)!! ty very much to them :)))

Somehow, stalking had just become a part of Tyler's life. It had started off in little ways, he supposed. Sitting in cafe corners, watching other people interact as he studied, had moved onto following people when he was bored. Now, it had escalated even further, so much so that he knew more about some people than their friends did.

It wasn't like he had any particular intention when he did it, other than his interest in the lives of others. Whilst he had contemplated, briefly but on several occasions, if he should maybe take one of his targets' lives, he didn't. That wasn't unusual, though. He had spoken about it with his friends before, and they all agreed that they had considered murdering someone. The human mind was like that- it processed information in strange ways. Sometimes, it would be given something it didn't know what to do with, and thoughts Tyler didn't agree with would creep into his mind. He was no murderer.

It was just that ever since he was a kid, he had been curious. Whether he expressed that in his wanderlust or desire to know every detail of everyone he met, it was there. This was him satisfying that curiosity in him. Whenever his targets became suspicious, acting as though they thought (knew) someone was following them, he moved onto someone new.

Safe, easy, fun. Everything he could hope for in a hobby, except for it being illegal and not something any of his friends would be at all okay with.

***

Thanks to Tyler's professor setting last-minute assignment, he had arrived at the practice room later than usual. Instead of the polite violinist he usually had in the room beside him, there was an obnoxious drummer. The practice rooms were supposed to be soundproof, and they did keep out most noises, but when someone was playing drums so _loud_ , he was still able to hear it. They had been playing when Tyler had arrived, and were still drumming over an hour later. The quick, so-complex-it-was-almost-sporadic beat threw him off, and his piano playing was terrible. A part of him wanted to make up a piano tune to go along with the drumming, but alas, he had to practice the pieces he had been assigned.

Eventually, he decided to go confront the guy, with the intention of asking him to play quieter, but as soon as he stepped out of the practice room, the drumming stopped. It was a relief, since it would probably be thirty seconds of him stuttering, then apologising and running away. He was far more composed and intimidating

Since Tyler was already standing up, he went to go get a snack out of one of the vending machines. As he reached the machine, the door to the practice room beside Tyler's opened, two people walking out. Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler took in details of their appearances. It was easy enough. He got plenty of practice at this.

The woman was shorter, with long blonde hair and a wide smile. She was cute, especially with the oversized hoodie she was wearing. There was a bounce in her step too, lively and happy as she spoke to her friend. He considered making her his next target- Alex had gotten too wary, leaving Tyler without anyone to watch for the past four days- until he saw her friend.

He was drenched in sweat from the drumming Tyler had been ready to complain about, and around the same height as Tyler. His green hair was matted against his forehead, wet and sort of gross, but Tyler bet it would look adorable when it was dry. There were some tattoos visible on his exposed arm. Swirls of blue, green, and brown that Tyler couldn't quite comprehend as anything more than meaningless colour. It was beautiful. Tyler couldn't help but feel intrigued.

All those things were mysterious and cool enough for Tyler to want to get to know him, but it was the blood on his hands that topped it all off. Both of his hands, and the drumsticks held within them, were stained red with blood. It looked painful- he had reached this state just from drumming, _of course_ it was painful- but it only served to make him more tempting to Tyler. Some part of Tyler had always loved blood and bruises. Not because of the pain it caused, just on an aesthetic level. Tyler bumped into things often enough, sometimes caught a fist with his jaw like anyone else. He had found an upside to that by staring at them until he saw sunsets or galaxies or continents.

He could hear the man laugh at something his friend said, and his mind was completely made up. The strange, bleeding, green-haired drummer with the laugh like sunrise and the moon would be the next person Tyler would follow.

He got a chocolate bar and returned to his practice room, noting down the time the man had been in the practice room. The one thing he could be sure of was that he was an enthusiastic drummer, meaning he probably came to the practice rooms regularly. Stalking this man would be easy, and more interesting than any of his previous targets, if what Tyler already knew about him was anything to go by.

Bloodied hands and bright smiles- he could already sense that this man was perfect.

***

The first thing to do was to work out his name, and at what times he went to the practice room. It would be easy enough if he just camped out in one of the practice rooms until he heard the distinctive drumming, and then followed him out. Hopefully, he would have that friend with him. It was always easiest to just listen out for a name when they were talking to a friend, though the name given to baristas at coffee shops or on their mail was also an option.

Tyler brought his bag to the practice room the next day, and spent the next two hours sitting in a corner with his books spread out around him. Whilst he _could_  play piano until the man arrived, he might get too into it and not hear him, so instead he sat revising.

After many minutes, he heard the muffled sounds of a door opening, not for the first time since he had arrived, but this time it was followed by the crashing of symbols. Tyler pulled out his phone, checking the time. Seven minutes past eight. Great. He had started playing at some point before half past eight yesterday, so it seemed he was consistent in when he went to practice.

Since most of his work was done, Tyler packed away his books into his bag and sat in front of the piano. The man was laying down a strange, but steady beat, so Tyler let his hands float over the keys. Since he had started playing the piano when he was eight, he had written too many songs for him to count. Most were scrapped or left as loose words, but some were almost complete.

He picked one out from his mind, which fit the beat well. With a few changes, he was playing in time with the beat, and it sounded- _amazing_. It sounded amazing. Sure, there were a few slip ups when he couldn't adapt his music before his fingers were already pressing keys which didn't fit, but it sounded so _right_.

He would have to be careful when he followed this man. If the man became suspicious, he wasn't sure he would be able to just drop him. It was likely that he was crossing some line, going against some rule he had created yet. 'Don't stalk people who you think you won't be able to ditch as soon as they become a threat.' That would be a great, sensible rule to have in place, so he didn't get arrested. But he had not been doing this long enough to have rules in place. He had never come close enough to discovery for him to need any.

The drumming stopped at three minutes past nine, only a few minutes earlier than it had yesterday. Tyler waited inside the practice room until a minute after he heard the door shut. Of course, the man would know Tyler was following him if he was only a few steps behind him.

When he stepped out of the room, he saw the man at the end of the corridor with the same girl as yesterday. Perfect. Tyler continued to follow them from about ten metres behind as they moved onto quiet streets. Had it been daytime, everything would've been easier. The crowds would make his presence less noticeable, and he could feign interest in shops to seem less suspicious

By now, the only shops still open were all-night diners. With so few people around, it was probable that they would reach an area quiet enough for them to hear his footsteps. It was frustrating, to say the least, but he persevered. He began to hang back further, clinging to dark walls and dipping into alleyways so they wouldn't always have him looming behind them. It almost made him want to laugh, how much he was acting like a spy, but that would give him away.

Instead, he stopped himself from thinking by listening out for a name. When he was this far back, it was hard to hear their conversation. The man mumbled a lot, voice unclear, but the woman could be heard better. She was saying something about classes and work, then Jenna and hanging out. Nothing useful to Tyler. From what he could hear her saying, he couldn't work out what classes the man took, or where he worked. He filed away info about the woman, since they seemed close.

They were three blocks away from Tyler's apartment when they stopped. "Well, see ya Josh," the woman said, pulling him in for a hug.

Tyler smiled, once again hiding himself in an alleyway. The man said something back, and then he heard a door open and one set of footsteps continue forward. When the footsteps were distant enough, he moved to the front of the building. The woman turned a corner just as he did.

So this was Josh's house. Already, he knew a name and address. Everything that had happened so far seemed to push him towards Josh. Tyler was only too happy to allow it.

***

More days spent waiting for Josh in the practice room and then following him home. For now, he was too busy with uni to work out what Josh did with the rest of his day, to follow him around more than those ninety or so minutes. Soon, though, he would, because the conversations he heard between Josh and his friend Debby only drew Tyler in more.

He was sure that Josh would be beautiful to learn about. Tyler wanted to know everything about Josh, even the things he wouldn't tell to Debby. Already, he could see he was holding things back from her. Sometimes, she would say something to make Josh twitch, or let out an uncomfortable laugh and change the subject. So far, Tyler hadn't found any link between what caused it, but he would.

For now, he was leaning against the door of the practice room once again, waiting for Josh to leave- it was almost nine, after all. But today was different. Instead of the usual sounds of Josh packing up, chatting with Debby, he heard muttering, then a loud, "Oh, shoot!"

Josh seemed to be collecting together his things quicker than usual, rushing out the door. When Josh stepped out into the corridor, his conversation could be heard better.

"....completely forgot about it. I'm just gonna have to do it as quickly as possible when I get home. It shouldn't take too long. Ah, dang, I've got a class at eight tomorrow, too," Josh said. A forgotten assignment, then.

"Aw, man. We'd better hurry so you can actually sleep tonight," Debby said. There was no audible response from Josh, so either he spoke quietly or just nodded.

Once their voices were faint enough, Tyler stepped out to follow them. His eyes caught on something in the practice room Josh had been using- a grey piece of clothing on the floor. Tyler picked it, realising it was the hoodie Josh often wore. In his haste, he must have dropped or forgotten it. What would be most sensible would be to leave it there, so Josh could go back and get it. Obviously, that would be the most logical and simple thing to do.

Tyler buried his face into the soft, worn material, the scent of Josh making him smile. He smelt warm and fresh, mixed with a sweet, woodsy aftershave. Not without guilt, he stuffed the hoodie into his bag. He walked home quicker than usual, face tinged red. He felt like a bit of an asshole, but he was sure Josh would care more about the stalking than a stolen hoodie.

It was too late to turn back now anyway, so he resolved to just throw it into the room Josh used the next day. He arrived before Josh, anyway. It's not like he'd know that Tyler had taken it and sniffed it. It wasn't the sort of thing that people expected to happen to lost clothing. Of course they didn't. Tyler knew it was a weird thing to do, and even felt a bit creepy doing it. But then, stalking was creepy, and Josh smelt pretty great. It made Tyler feel safe, even though it shouldn't. But it wasn't like he was going to do anything weird with it.

Or at least nothing weirder than sleeping with it, but that was because he struggled to sleep. If it helped him feel safer and get to sleep easier, there was no reason not to. It gave him something to think about other than his usual terrible thoughts, at least. Like this, Tyler could almost imagine his face pressed against Josh's neck. They would be curled up together, and Josh would be happy to be with him and- oh, no, what was he thinking?

Josh was off-limits. Dating someone who he had stalked wasn't acceptable. It would be stressful hiding something like that from them, and then they would call the police on him.

But he wanted to kiss Josh now, the thought had burrowed its way into his mind and wouldn't get out. And- no, Tyler shouldn't, _shouldn't_ do this, but he was slipping a hand into his boxers. He thought about Josh whilst clutching the hoodie to his face. Images of Josh's sweet smile, drenched in sweat after practice. With his bloody hands staining Tyler's clothes. With Tyler's hands clutching bright strands of his hair. What he would look like shirtless, or naked.

He moaned Josh's name when he came and threw the hoodie into a corner of his room. Frick. That pushed at the boundaries of Tyler's morals. Jerking off to thoughts of Josh wouldn't be so bad, but whilst smelling his (stolen) hoodie? He couldn't believe he had done that.

He still slept better than he did most nights, and it was still Josh he thought about when he got to sleep.

***

In the morning, Tyler had forgotten all about what he had done last night. That lasted for an entire minute, maybe even two, before he remembered. Blood flooded his cheeks, and he shoved his face back into his pillow.

Had he actually jerked off wearing Josh's jacket? A glance to the corner of his room confirmed the jacket to be there and- okay, yes, Tyler was completely gross and sticky. Nice. He could only thank his past self for doing such a terrible job of cleaning himself up.

Luckily, he had woken up early enough to shower without having to rush. He didn't have any early classes or unfinished assignments so he took his time in the shower, ignoring his annoying dick. He had already jerked off to the smell of Josh. He was pretty sure he had completed his monthly quota of creepy and stalker-ish things.

Tyler wanted to clear his mind, which he would usually do by stalking, but following Josh around might not help in this situation. Whatever, he was going to do it anyway. It wasn't like he had ever been all that safe with what he did. And it was about time he worked out what Josh did when he wasn't drumming. Tyler didn't even know his last name or the classes he took, which was worrying. Usually, he worked those out in the first few days, and it had already been a week of stalking Josh.

He put on the first passably clean clothes he could find and stuffed Josh's jacket into his laptop bag before heading off. There were bloodstains on it, he could see now it was lighter. Nothing to imply stab or bullet wounds, just speckles. On the day Tyler had first seen Josh, and several times since, his hands had been bleeding.

Images of Josh wearing the jacket over an oversize bare chest, smashing cymbals and snares. His movements sending spit and sweat and blood flying through the air in tiny droplets staining his jacket and the drum kit. As much as he didn't want Josh to hurt, it was a beautiful thought. Josh was beautiful and chaotic.

What Tyler felt for him was unclear, but one thing was obvious. Even as Josh became less of an enigma, Tyler slowly finding out exactly who he was, he was only becoming more fascinating. Tyler was only making it more difficult for himself. For when he would have to cut him out of his life to avoid repercussions.

***

Tyler fumbled with his bag to get the hoodie out, throwing it through the door. He didn't smell it one last time, because if people saw, he would get some strange looks. The temptation was there, though. Josh smelt wonderful.

Josh collected the hoodie and played drums, Debby joined him a few minutes before they left, and they spoke as they made their way back to their homes. Just like usual.

Life was weird, sometimes. Josh could wear the hoodie, completely unaware of what Tyler had done less than twenty-four hours earlier. To him, nothing was out of the ordinary, but Tyler knew. Knowing what a creep he was, Tyler smiled. It looked better on Josh, somehow.

Tyler needed to stop thinking about it. Every time Tyler thought about Josh, he felt too close to something he didn't sign up for.

***

The thing about Josh was that Tyler only knew about him from meeting him in the practice room. With all the other people he had stalked, he had first seen them in class. From there, he could find the earliest class they shared and then follow them around as much as he could for the rest of the day. With Josh, though, he had no idea what he did before he went to the practice rooms.

From what he knew of Josh, he went to uni- presumably Tyler's, since he lived so near. He liked drumming, and it was likely part of what he was taking as a degree. He loved Debby, but they weren't dating, because he poked fun at her for being so in love with someone called Jenna. He liked Taco Bell and hair dye and listening to music and cats and pressing his wounded hands to his mouth, sucking away blood and ignoring the disapproving look from Debby. He liked a lot of things and did a lot of things, but Tyler wanted to know _more_.

He wanted to know his Starbucks order or what his eyes looked liked when he spoke about something he loved. He wanted to see all his smiles, especially the sleepy morning ones that he would give to Tyler when- no. _Frick_. Maybe he could forgo all that, instead just sitting and regretting every decision he made. It had been a done deal as soon as he ignored all the rules he hadn't yet created, when he first heard Josh's laugh, when he jerked off with his jacket- a thousand different times. Still, Tyler had hoped, but it seemed hope wasn't enough. He was crushing _hard_ on Josh, and anyone could tell it was hopeless.

_"Hey Josh! You don't know me, but I know you! In fact, I've been stalking you, and have already masturbated whilst smelling your jacket. Anyway, how about a date? I promise I'll stop stalking you, just gimme your number."_

A great pickup line. Tyler would steal his heart in seconds. Mark prodded Tyler's arm with a pencil, but he remained hunched, head buried in his hands.

"You okay? What did the professor even assign you?" Mark asked, and Tyler sat up straight only to down the rest of his coffee.

"Nothing too bad, I'm cool with all that. It's just-" Tyler hesitated, thinking of a way to explain it without mentioning his _hobby_. "I don't know, man."

Mark tried to prod his nose with the pen, but missed and ended up shoving it in his mouth.

"Dude!"

"Oh, sorry. Aiming for the nose but- whatever, man, I know that look," Mark said, giggling. "You had that look with Allie. Tell me their name."

Tyler didn't understand how Mark could do this. It was kind of disgusting how well they knew each other. "Josh. It's complicated, though. I can't date him," he said.

"Nah, I'm sure he likes you. Unless he's straight? I'm straight but I'd still date you, you should ask him out anyway," Mark said.

Tyler couldn't explain, and protesting would only make Mark push further for the truth. "Sure," he said, leaving Mark completely unconvinced. They knew each other better than that, but they also knew when to stop pushing.

Mark was kind enough to leave it alone. "Okay. Tell me how the date goes."

Tyler nodded. "Want more coffee? I'm buying, then we can head over to mine for movies."

Mark nodded. Completing assignments could be forgotten about in favour of movies, as could Josh. Since he started following Josh, he had been distracted. The last time he and Mark had hung out was two weeks ago. Unacceptable. It called for movie marathons and too much junk food.

As Tyler approached the cash register, the barista took off their apron, collected their things and left. Another was pulling their apron on as Tyler reached the cash register and- okay, no, no, nope, what coffee? Tyler knew nothing about coffee, he didn't want coffee, he and Mark were just leaving. That's what they were doing.

He caught a glimpse of confusion in Josh's eyes as he turned away only seconds before when he would have ordered. It didn't matter, Tyler wanted to get out of there, fast. It was strange, perhaps, that Tyler acted like this. Following Josh to his house without his knowledge, but as soon as he might interact with him, he was fleeing the scene.

Or maybe it wasn't strange. Maybe the reason why he liked stalking was because it gave him control over who, how, and when he saw people. It let him get a much-needed grip on his social anxiety. Josh popping up in the coffee shop he and Mark always visited was _not_ controlling the way he interacted with people. It was the complete opposite of control.

It seemed implied that he should know about Josh, but Josh shouldn't know about him. In any case, his hands were shaking when they got back to his apartment. Mark was an understanding guy, as Tyler couldn't thank him enough for everything he did for him. He was polite enough to leave, using the excuse of food to let Tyler calm down.

It was times like this when he was reminded how much he loved Mark.

***

After that, Tyler couldn't help but feel angry at himself. Could he have made himself any more noticeable? Not only did Mark now know that the Josh in the cafe was 'Tyler's Josh', but now he would be more memorable to Josh. If he had calmly ordered and done nothing interesting or special, Josh wouldn't think twice about him, just see him as another customer and move on with his life.

Now, he might be left wondering about Tyler. Why had he ran when he saw Josh's face? Who was he? Maybe Josh would even feel a vague sense of recognition, from the time Tyler had first seen him. No, he had faced away from Josh. That would be impossible. But if Josh saw him at the practice rooms, he would be suspicious. _Great going, Tyler._

Or maybe Tyler was just over reacting. Anxiety mixed with the knowledge of his own wrong-doing. Someone deciding they didn't want a drink after all wasn't that amazing.

Tyler went to the cafe again the next day, much to the delight of Mark. He had seen Josh's name badge and made the connection. If he knew the whole story, he would be nowhere near as eager for Tyler to go. That was fine. Everyone had something they didn't want other people to know about them.

It wasn't until an hour after Tyler arrived that Josh's shift began, at which point he was already blending into the crowd of tired students and office workers. He was hunched over his laptop, red beanie pulled over his head and glasses on for once. Often, his friends- well, singular friend- had to double take when he wore them. They didn't suit him, and he hadn't bought a new pair since he was still in high school. The frames were square, and slightly too small for his face, but they changed his look, if nothing else.

For a second, Tyler thought that Josh had looked straight at him, but when Tyler looked up he was just making coffee. When Tyler went to buy another drink, Josh treated him the same way he would any other customer. Any previous worries he had about being discovered were brushed away.

It was interesting to see that glasses and a beanie worked as a disguise. Or maybe Josh just didn't care. A customer leaving a bit too suddenly wouldn't seem _that_ suspicious. It was just because Tyler _knew_ that Josh shouldn't trust him that he was thinking all those things. If he kept on repeating that, he would believe it.

Tyler could find out more about Josh now that he knew his work place. He took his coffee black, no sugar, because he couldn't be bothered with anything in it. Jenna was another worker at the cafe, who Debby was dating. He was calm, dealing well with even rude customers, and good with kids. Any time a kid came in, Josh, Debby, and Jenna all cooed over them.

The more he watched Josh interact with his friends, the more he remembered that Josh was hiding something. Tyler began to note down times when he would tense up, what had been said or done before, but it was difficult to see any connection. Maybe he just struggled to talk to people sometimes, and that was the only reason why he got uncomfortable. Tyler would find out, either way.

***

One of the bad things about never cleaning his room was that he could never find anything. When he lost the USB stick holding the only copy of his essay, he wanted to slam his head against a door. He knew it had to be in his bedroom. The previous night, he had _definitely_ out it on his bedside table. He was just a bit of a restless sleeper and must have knocked it to the floor.

Maybe if his floor wasn't covered in too many socks and empty cans that he would 'throw away later', it would be easier to find. Since he hadn't had that foresight, he was searching for several minutes. He finally found it in the corner of his room, hidden under a tank top he hadn't yet washed. Beside it, he saw something he didn't recognise.

A small golden tube. Lipstick? He popped off the lid, and yes, it was bright red lipstick, the same colour as Josh's hair was now.

Josh's hair? Was he that hopeless already? It seemed so. A more important question was why was it in his room? He had never bought any, and he didn't imagine Mark wore any. Even if he did, there was no explanation about why it would be in Tyler's room.

Tyler stood in front of the mirror and ran it across his lips. He hadn't ever worn lipstick before, and his hands weren't steady. It ended up looking messy, small smudges of red in a few places around his mouth.

Pretty, though. He looked pretty. He smiled at himself, licking away the makeup that had gotten on his teeth. Maybe putting on makeup he had found on the floor wasn't his best idea, but it didn't matter. Too late now.

Still staring at his reflection, he tried to figure out where it had came from. He had found it in the corner of his room, the same place he had thrown Josh's jacket after- Josh's jacket?

It made sense. Josh had some sort of secret he didn't want people to know, and from what Tyler knew about him, it wasn't anything like cheating or murder. Makeup, though. It wasn't something _bad_ , just something he might not be comfortable with his friends knowing.

It would suit him. Tyler washed off the lipstick in his bathroom, and decided that he needed to see Josh wearing makeup.

***

It was a reckless kind of day. Tyler got in that mood sometimes- the kind of mood which begged him to do something which just might break him. Today, his feet led him to Josh's apartment. It was only four in the afternoon on a Saturday. Tyler had no more classes, and Josh was at work. His chest bubbled with a terrible wanting, a desire to do something he would definitely regret.

He opened the door to the building, and was lucky enough to catch someone in the lobby. "Hey, sorry, do you know which floor Josh lives on? Josh Dun? He's a guy my height with red hair," Tyler said, trying to look as innocent as possible. He had heard Debby calling him by his last name a few times, when he had teased her or the one time he had faked ill to go to a concert.

The woman smiled at him. "Oh, yes. He lives in four-two," she told him. "Are you a friend of his?"

"Yes, we go to the same uni." Probably not a lie. "Thanks, I've gotta go pick something up from his house."

He calmly made his way to Josh's apartment. After five minutes of searching for a non-existent spare key, he gave up. Why did Josh have to be too smart to keep one hidden under a rug? It would be so much more convenient if he did.

As Tyler was muttering under his breath about this, he heard footsteps from behind him. There was no time to move to the floor above, Josh was already standing behind him. Tyler went for the tactic of 'pretend everything is fine'. It was not a good tactic, as proven when Josh held out his hand to stop him.

"Who are you?" Josh asked, met by stuttering from Tyler.

When he managed to get out an entire word, Josh was still staring straight at him, now having backed him against a wall. "What?"

"I've noticed you. At the cafe, after practice, when I'm going home," Josh said. "Why?"

"Okay, I don't know-"

"Yes you do."

Dragging silence.

Tyler inhaled slowly. "Fine. I was following you," he admitted.

Josh looked calmer as Tyler began to cooperate, but stepped back away from him and faked a laugh when someone appeared behind him. "C'mon, man, let's go inside," he said, guiding him towards the door with a hand on his back.

This wasn't what Tyler had expected, but neither was any of this. "Sure," he said, playing along with the friendship ruse for the sake of the person behind them.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, Josh was back to staring at him, face indiscernible. "How long have you been following me for, Tyler?" he asked. "At least for a couple weeks, that's when you started visiting me at work."

Tyler was pretty sure he hadn't given Josh his name, but that was the least of his concerns. "Six or seven weeks. I saw you in the practice rooms."

"Why are you following me?"

By the end of this conversation, he wasn't sure how much he would have left of his inner lip. Constantly chewing on it couldn't do him much good. "You're interesting. The way you play drums- and your hands. You were bleeding. I find you interesting," he said. It was difficult to be honest when he was trying not to give away just how much he knew about Josh. His favourite TV shows and bands and that he liked makeup. Not even Debby knew that.

Josh calculated him. "Okay. Sweet. You can leave."

Tyler stood still for too long. If he was lucky, he had expected a punch and some threats, but closer to a phone call to the police. Instead, Josh had just told him that he could leave. Not even that he _had_ to leave.

"Okay? Bye." Never in his life had Tyler felt more confused or shocked.

"See ya."

Tyler left. The police were not there when he got back to his apartment, and no one gave him strange looks the next day. With what had happened the previous night, Tyler wasn't sure if he should carry on following Josh. That was the problem stalking. He couldn't ask Mark for advice, and there was no information on stalking etiquette.

To test the waters, Tyler visited the cafe. At no point had Josh seemed annoyed or upset, just cautious, then accepting. Josh was working when he got there- as though Tyler didn't already know his shift times- and smiled when he arrived.

"Your usual?" he asked, when Tyler was at the front of the queue.

"Yes." Tyler wasn't aware Josh knew him well enough to know his regular order. He didn't question it.

"Okay, I'm gonna do something I shouldn't," Josh said, scribbling on the side of Tyler's paper coffee cup. "That's my number. Uh, no need to stalk me, unless you want to. Texting is cool too."

"Sure," Tyler said. Most of the time, he could keep relatively composed, but now he was struggling not to blush or stutter. He left the cafe before Josh could say anything else. Never had he been more confused. Shouldn't Josh be trying to get Tyler _away_ from him? Had he just invited Tyler to continue? Or was it meant as a joke? The way Josh had acted so far didn't show any signs of him disliking it.

He shouldn't question it. After all, not only had Josh been completely calm about it, he was actually going to be able to talk to Josh. Tyler wasn't sure the exact reason why he had stalked Josh, or anyone, but friendship was something he wanted from Josh.

Tyler entered Josh's number into his phone and threw away the empty cup.

_Hey, Tyler here_

Josh would still be on his shift, but Tyler could return home and await a reply. It took a couple hours, during which he spoke to Mark, but Josh did replied.

_Hey_

Tyler read the text over a few times, trying to figure out how to respond. He was grateful when another text came through a few seconds later, this one with more substance.

_Do you wanna come over to my house next Tuesday? It'd be cool to hang. You know the address_

A date? Was that Josh asking him out on a date, or was Tyler just very queer and very hopeful? Tyler faced enough blurred lines every time he took his glasses off or contacts out, he didn't need to deal with them any more often than that. Whether or not it was a date, Tyler's answer remained the same.

_Sick. What time should I show up_

Josh took a few minutes to reply, and Tyler almost wondered if he should've refused. Maybe Josh was just bluffing. Who invited ex-stalkers to their houses? A lot of people, but not many people were aware of themselves doing it.

_7_

Tyler needed to stop jumping to conclusions.

_Okay_

The conversation ended there, because Josh said no more and Tyler was too nervous to carry it on.

***

Tyler awoke to a message from Josh. It had been sent at three in the morning, asking if he believed in aliens, and when they would arrive. It was almost like the type of text he would send to Mark. Tyler couldn't help the smile.

_The universe is pretty big. There's probably at least two but they will never visit us as long as Drake exists._

Josh replied in a few minutes, and somehow they ended up spending the rest of the day exchanging the occasional text. Before Tyler even knew Josh's name, he knew he would like him, but he never expected _this_. Talking and joking over text. Dare he say it- becoming _friends_.

Mark noticed, of course.

"Who've you been texting all day? Why are you smiling so much? Are you breaking up with me?" he asked, leaning towards him to peek at the screen. Tyler didn't bother to shield it from Mark. It was all innocent.

"Just Josh," he said.

"Josh from the coffee shop?"

"Yeah." It wasn't like they knew any other Josh's, Mark was just teasing him.

"So, did you ask him out?" Mark asked, propping his head on his hands as smiling.

"No, but we're gonna hang on Tuesday."

"Sounds like a date."

Tyler didn't deny it. From his interactions with Josh so far, he could honestly say that he couldn't predict Josh at all. It could be anything. Maybe animal sacrifice.

***

Tuesday rolled up quicker than Tyler anticipated. The passage of time was not any different to what it always was, but Tyler's perception of it was skewed by Josh and the nights spent staying up to text him. Tyler would never understand how a friendship had found space to bud between them, but he wasn't complaining.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Josh. They hadn't spoken since they had exchanged numbers and gotten close, and Tyler was excited to see him again. He hadn't stalked him since then, either, but the memory of Josh's words rung clear in his memory.

That was almost certainly Josh saying he was fine with it. It wasn't like he wasn't already aware of Tyler's habits, and he was bored. It was twenty to five- almost the end of Josh's shift at the cafe. He walked along to hang around outside until Josh exited. He couldn't try to blend in with the crowd inside- Josh would notice him- so instead he waited for him to leave.

It wasn't long before he did, unaware of Tyler's presence. He didn't expect Josh to do much- maybe a bit of shopping, maybe just going straight home- but he did neither. Instead, he walked the streets, making sudden turns and always looking straight ahead. Tyler noticed his gaze stray to the side just before he crossed a street, heading in the same direction he was looking. It was almost as though his gaze was constantly locked onto something, or someone.

Almost like he was following someone. Tyler noticed a short man about ten metres ahead of Josh. Wherever he went, Josh followed. A smile split Tyler's lips as he headed back to Josh's house. He got back at quarter to six, and played games on his phone until Josh came back at ten past six.

He was wearing makeup, Tyler noted. Red eyeshadow and lipstick the same colour as black cherry- so almost black, but with a hint of purple-red. His eyelashes were too full and dark to be natural, meaning he must be wearing mascara too. It was the first time Tyler had seen him with any more than faded smudges of lipstick, faint black rings of eyeliner not quite removed. In all of Tyler's imaginings, he had never looked this beautiful.

He didn't look at all surprised when he saw Tyler, just pulled his key out of his pocket.

"Hey. I noticed you stalking someone," Tyler said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tyler agreed. "Guess I know why you weren't creeped out now."

Josh smiled at him, letting him into the house. "Also 'cause you're hot."

There was a silence, not awkward but filled with tension. Tyler hadn't been able to keep his eyes off Josh's lips since he saw the makeup he was wearing, and now Josh was staring right back at his.

Tyler wasn't conscious of himself leaning forwards, joining their lips. It was light, nothing more than an aborted peck, but Tyler felt terrible. He had _standards_ , and forcing kisses upon people was not something he wanted to do.

Josh grabbed Tyler's shoulders and dragged him closer, meeting their lips. It was unexpected, but not unwanted. Tyler threaded one hand into Josh's hair, the other spread across his lower back to keep him close. Without any prompting, Josh opened his mouth for Tyler, letting him lick into his mouth. Tyler could feel Josh's lipstick rubbing off onto his own mouth, but couldn't care less.

Tyler allowed himself to sink into Josh, his lips firm but gentle. They were a bit chapped, but Tyler couldn't make himself care. He had wanted Josh since he had first seen him, and they were finally kissing.

Neither of them wanted to pull away, the kiss only becoming more intense and enthusiastic, until Tyler was pressing Josh against the wall. Josh was beginning to make tiny moaning sounds, so Tyler moved his attention to Josh's neck. He sucked at the soft skin, drawing bruises to the surface of his skin with tiny nips. Josh seemed fine with it, hands clutching the back of Tyler's shirt.

Tyler smirked at the neediness, and slid his hands under Josh's shirt to test his reaction. Josh withdrew from Tyler's mouth so he could take off his shirt. His body was amazing, toned but soft. He must work out loads on top of all his school work and drumming, abs like that didn't come without work.

Tyler had the overwhelming urge to press his mouth against them, to leave a universe of love bites there, too. People would know that Josh was his, would be unable to forget after he finished leaving countless marks. Dropping to his knees, he started work on covering his abdomen. He was met with further pleased noises from Josh, which only grew louder when Tyler's hands slid to Josh's thighs. The black faux leather would be difficult to get Josh out of, but he looked so good in it that Tyler couldn't complain. It clung to his skin and showed off his thighs and ass perfectly, both just as well sculpted as his stomach.

As Tyler's mouth got closer to Josh's crotch, the lipstick trail left becoming fainter, the bulge in Josh's pants became more evident. He must have been at least half hard, straining against the tight material of his pants. Tyler brushed one hand across his crotch, approving of the moan Josh gave him.

"Tyler, please," he said. His hands didn't move to manipulate Tyler's body, and Tyler smiled. Josh was allowing Tyler to dominate him, and well, Tyler wasn't one to complain. Tyler already knew he liked Josh as something other than a friend, and anyone could tell that he was one of the prettiest guys to exist.

Tyler struggled to remove his pants, the material sticking to Josh's skin. It took a while, but they ended up on the floor, as did his underwear and socks. Josh was left completely naked, cock showing his arousal, and Tyler still fully clothed. Tyler ran his hands over Josh's thighs at sucked at the skin near his cock, teasing him.

Once he was hard enough, Tyler took the tip of his cock into his mouth, tonguing at the slit. His hands clung to Tyler's shoulders, like he wanted to pull him up for a kiss but was too caught up by the pleasure. As Tyler began to bob his head, Josh's hips bucked forwards out of instinct. Tyler held them back, smiling at his whine.

After a while, he was able to take Josh almost to the back of his throat, drawing loud sounds of pleasure from Josh. He was getting closer to his climax, if the way he was fisting his hands in Tyler's shirt was anything to go by. He pulled off, giving Josh's cock one last lick before looking up at Josh. "I wanna fuck you," he said, voice thick and hoarse from sucking Josh off. The curse was foreign on his tongue, but it elicited a moan from Josh.

"Please, Tyler," Josh said, breathing heavily. "Need you inside me."

"Where's the bedroom?" Tyler asked, standing up.

Though a bit dazed, Josh grabbed Tyler's hand and led him to his room. As soon as they got there, Josh was lying back on the bed, jerking himself off as he waited for Tyler to find the lube. He squeezed some onto his fingers, throwing the tube to the side and not bothering to let it warm up before slipping a finger inside Josh. He pulled back from the cold, but soon enough relaxed into it, allowing a second finger.

Tyler let one hand drift to Josh's nipple as he continued to stretch Josh, adding a third finger soon enough. He wasn't quite as well stretched as Tyler would usually want, but Josh was begging for Tyler. He gave in, rolling on a condom and coating himself with the excess lube.

Josh grabbed Tyler's butt, trying to drag him closer. Tyler laughed, then lined himself up with Josh's entrance. He couldn't help but moan along with Josh when he was finally inside, feeling Josh's tightness around him.

Tyler leaned down to kiss Josh, one hand fisted in Josh's hair, the other propping himself up. With each thrust, Josh was letting out tiny sounds, only turning Tyler on more. It wasn't long before Josh was falling apart below him, clawing at his shoulders. "Faster, Tyler, please. Need you," he groaned.

Tyler obliged, speeding up his thrusts, the room filled with the slap of skin-on-skin, the noises each let out. Josh called Tyler's name, and then he was coming over Tyler's stomach, clenching around his dick. Tyler couldn't last much longer after that, Josh underneath him, mumbling about how good he looked.

He let out a cry, and came, curled up next to Josh and panting. He pulled out and curled up along Josh's back, both of them falling asleep shortly afterwards.

***

Josh was still next to him when he woke up, his neck covered in purple-black marks from Tyler. The covers had been stained with makeup, even red imprints from where his face must have pressed into the pillow. Josh was already awake.

"Hey," Tyler said, voice cracking since he had only just awoken.

"Hey." Josh was scanning him, trying to gauge how Tyler felt about this all. Tyler gave him a tiny smile, getting a bigger one back. "I didn't think we'd do that."

"Neither did I."

"We should do it again sometime."

"Yeah." Josh looked almost as though he had expected Tyler to say no. "Maybe no makeup next time."

Josh glanced at the stains at laughed. "It's, like, a reminder."

Tyler didn't think he'd forget it, with or without makeup stains.

**Author's Note:**

> its finally done. i am crying. thank u for reading this.
> 
> do u guys think they like memes??? i keep wanting them to text memes to each other but idk if they like memes??? they seem like meme trash tbh.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [he counts his ribs (one two three)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3650574) by [snitches_get_stitches](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snitches_get_stitches/pseuds/snitches_get_stitches)




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